K'Vash's Legend
by JustAFerret
Summary: A Khajiit wakes up only to be dropped into the middle of legend as he battles forces beyond mortal comprehension as Dragonborn while finding pieces of his past. He soon discovers that fate has more in store for him besides his god-given destiny. A collab fic between JustAFerret and Starspike7.
1. Chapter 1

**So this is something I've been working on for a while with fellow writer, Starspike7. I've been aching into getting into another Skyrim fic for a while and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to get back into the game. So here's the skinny, we're going to take turns writing a chapter for this fic, starting with Starspike. We'll go on from there until the end. It'll follow our own Dragonborn as he tackles more than just his destiny to defeat Alduin. I won't go beyond that, but I hope you enjoy this project.**_  
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_Hey, this is Starspike7, writer of the series Users. Bet you weren't expecting someone that's not JustAFerret to be writing author's notes. Well, here I am… rock you like a hurricane. No but seriously, this is our first collab and its kickass. Well, don't take my word for it. Read._

_ROAD HOUSE!_

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K'Vash's Legend

K'Vash let his eyes open and adjust to the light. He looked around and saw that he was in a hut of some sort. The Khajiit got up and looked out to see why he had been awoken and where he was. He parted the curtains of the hut and was shocked to see men slaughtering each other.

K'Vash looked around, not knowing what was going on; he made a break to get out of there. He ran forward leaping over corpses and dodging incoming arrows. Whatever happened he needed to survive. K'Vash leaped over a fallen man in a blue tunic and immediately ran into a man in a red tunic.

The red tunic man grabbed him by the fur cape that was tied around his neck. Acting on instinct, K'Vash bit down on the knot that held it on his shoulders. The knot came loose and K'Vash ducked the man's swinging sword. He rushed off to another dead red tunic. There he saw and reached down to pick up an iron axe.

The weapon felt familiar in his hand, it was like he had trained for his life with it. He turned with the axe and brought it up in time to block a blue tunic's mace. Then, he brought the axe around and lopped off the man's head.

K'Vash turned to check for any more incoming threats and instead was met with a hilt to the face.

"Hey, he's waking."

K'Vash opened his eyes and saw that he was in the back of a wagon with some men who wore the same blue tunics he saw on the grisly battlefield. Interestingly, one of the men wore a gag over his mouth. K'Vash looked over to the man that was staring out at the road ahead.

"Where are we?"

The man turned around and scowled, "Well, _Khajiit_, we are being carted off by the Imperials from that ambush we all walked into."

K'Vash looked away from the man that was scowling and to the scared one, who seemed to be shaking in his boots, "What's wrong with him?"

The man gave a quick glance at the larger man and then back to K'Vash, "He's a Stormcloak Nord, they believe that Skyrim belongs to the Nords and nobody else."

K'Vash looked to the blonde haired man, "Do you know why I was in that field?"

"Please, a Khajiit in nord territory. You were probably planning to steal something or sell some of your useless wears."

K'Vash shook his head and turned to the gagged man, "What is his problem, aye?"

The blonde Nord almost stood up, "Be careful what you're saying. That is Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King of Skyrim."

The scared man's eyes widened, "Wait, if this is Ulfric Stormcloak, where are they taking us?"

The blonde haired Nord just looked forward, "To Helgen, and then they will send us to Sovngarde."

K'Vash looked forward too and saw the gates of Helgen open before them. They entered the city and saw a High Elf standing next to a seasoned Imperial in shimmering gold armor. K'Vash heard the blonde Nord make a remark about the empire and lists but he didn't care.

K'Vash was distracted by a female Khajiit in an alley way who was waving at him. She seemed to be trying to get his attention. He looked at her and tried to wave back but his hands were bound. She noticed she had his attention and held up the number two and pointed at him.

K'Vash had no idea what that meant but he guessed he would find out soon enough. The wagon made a left turn and stopped when they had reached the chopping block. The Imperials called each one out of the cart and over to the block area. They called the blonde man and the gagged one. Then, they called the scared man who immediately made a break for it and was promptly shot with an arrow.

Then, the Nord calling names turned to him, "You there, step forward. Who are you?"

K'Vash thought for a moment and realized that all he knew was his name, "My name is K'Vash. I am Khajiit."

The Nord's eyes widened and then he turned to his commanding officer, "Ma'am, its K'Vash. Should we let him go? After all, you know where he's from."

The lady turned and scowled at K'Vash, "No, he dies like the others. He was on the battle ground, which means the thieves' guild is helping the Stormcloaks. By killing him, we can send a message to their guild about fighting the empire."

K'Vash tried to ask her what she meant by him and the Thieves Guild but was pushed up to the group at the block before he could utter a sound. The Imperials began reading names and were cut off when a man stepped forward.

"Let's get this over with, I haven't got all day", the man just sat forward and put his head over the block willingly. Then, K'Vash watched as the black clothed executioner brought the cold steel of the axe down on his neck.

K'Vash was both astonished and awestruck by the tenacity the man had to walk up and just die. The feeling was quickly dropped when they called his name to the block. K'Vash walked forward and tensed up when they heard a roar in the sky. The Imperials barely flinched at it and waved him forward. K'Vash took a few more steps and felt a hand drop something is his hands. K'Vash turned around to see who it was but no one was there.

"Hey, no more wasting time, get over here, Khajiit!" A guard pushed him to the block. K'Vash leaned over and felt what was in his hands. It was a ring, K'Vash didn't know what to do with it but he prepared to put it on.

The man with the axe stepped up and readied to bring his blade down and end K'Vash's life. The cat just took a deep breath and put the ring on. The ring seemed to fizzle and pop. Then it exploded in his hand and turned into dust. Whatever the plan was to save him, it just went by with the ring.

The axe bearer brought his weapon back and began to bring it down on K'Vash's head when they were both picked up by a giant flying monster. The monster grabbed K'Vash in his right hand and the axe man in his right.

The monster began to fly higher and higher until it reached the point it wanted to go and dropped K'Vash and the executioner. They both fell through the air and the ground came up rapidly to meet them. K'Vash was lucky enough to land on the archer tower while the axe man fell strait to the ground.

One of the archers standing on the tower came over to K'Vash, "Hey, get up! We are going to need help if we want to take down that dragon!"

K'Vash's eyes widened, "A dragon? Now?"

The soldier picked K'Vash up and K'Vash winced at the pain in his chest, "I don't know why but yes now."

The soldier handed K'Vash an imperial bow and a quiver of arrows. K'Vash immediately knew what to do. He threw the arrows on his back and ran forward to help the archers. He began firing arrows with extreme accuracy and speed. Each shot hit the dragon right where K'Vash wanted them to. Unfortunately, the arrows would just bounce off the dragon's steel hide.

The dragon felt the arrows knocking on its hide and glared at the archers. The dragon landed on the tower next to K'Vash's and blew fire onto the soldiers that were stationed on it. Then, it turned its attention to the next tower.

K'Vash froze until the head archers barked orders, "Run! Over the side or to the hatch! Get off the roof!"

K'Vash looked next to him and saw the side of the stone tower. He ran forward and leaped off as the dragon blew fire on it, disintegrating everyone on it. K'Vash fell to the ground, he closed his eyes expecting to hit and shatter his bones. Instead, the nord that had tried to help him earlier caught K'Vash on his horse.

"C'mon, we have to get out of here!" The nord began riding quickly through the town, dodging falling walls and burning debris. Eventually they came to the gate of Helgen where the nord kicked his horse and tried to run free. The attempt was futile when the dragon landed before them and batted them to the side like trash.

K'Vash and the Nord went flying to the doors of the guard's keep. The nord got up and pulled K'Vash inside. Once inside, K'Vash began searching for a weapon besides the bow on his back.

"Tell me K'Vash, why are you here?"

K'Vash still couldn't remember and turned to the nord, "I, honestly, have no clue. I woke up in a hut where you were battling the Stormcloaks, as you call them. Do you know who I am?"

The Nord's eyes widened again, "So you remember nothing?"

"If I did remember something, don't you think I would have used it to be taken off the block? One other thing, the female Khajiit that was here, do you know who she is?"

The Nord tilted his head, "A female Khajiit? I'm sorry but your kind isn't even allowed in Helgen. If there was a female, she kept herself hidden."

K'Vash nodded his head and found what he was looking for. He opened a chest and found studded imperial guard armor and boots. Next to that, he found a steel axe. He picked up the axe and it felt at home with his hand like the iron before. K'Vash set it down and quickly got dressed it the armor.

"So, what's our plan of action?"

The Nord pointed with his hand down the hall, "We follow the keeps tunnels out of Helgen. The dragon cannot get us down there."

K'Vash gave a nod to the Nord's idea and they were off. The Nord would take out the men at close range with his steel sword while K'Vash used his skills with a bow to drop them while they were distracted.

The two warriors started down the hall and came to the entre' hall. There they came upon a squad of Stormcloaks. K'Vash sneaked up behind them and knocked them out by bashing their heads together.

Next, they fought through the store room and the dungeon with no trouble at all. K'Vash fought with the Legion Nord through countless foes until they escaped Helgen and arrived outside the escape tunnel.

The Nord turned to K'Vash, "Your skills with a bow are as remarkable as they say, K'Vash."

K'Vash quickly jumped on the Nord's leak of information, "As who say? What do you know about me?"

The soldier held his hands up in submission and submitted to K'Vash's questions, "Okay, they say that you are the leader of the Thieves Guild. Rumor has it that you can pick pocket someone without being behind them."

"Go on."

"Stories are told that you grew up in Valenwood among the wood elves. There you train and mastered the art of the bow."

"Anything else?"

"No, nothing else."

K'Vash took in the last sentence and felt as if something was going to come to mind. In the end, his memory failed him and he couldn't remember what he wanted to. K'Vash looked around and saw a road off in the distance.

"Very well Nord, where do we go?"

The Nord looked down to the road and pointed to it, "That road should lead us to Riverwood. There I have an uncle that can help us."

"Alright, we move to Riverwood then. But before we go, I must know your name."

The Nord gave a nod to K'Vash's final request and replied, "My name is Hadvar."

"Very well then Hadvar, let us begin the trek to Riverwood."

The two began the journey with little trouble. As they traveled they ran into a few wolves and elk. K'Vash managed to take them out quickly with a swipe of his claws. Then, they came upon the guardian stones. Legends stated that some stones were imbued with centuries of knowledge from their respective areas. Others were blessed by the divines as a token to Tamriel for their faith.

K'Vash walked into the center of the stones and felt power surge around him in an invisible aura. A wind came from the stone to his left. It seemed to call to him and invite him.

Then Hadvar caught up, "Ah, I see you found the guardian stones. Under their sign, you can achieve different skills."

K'Vash looked to his left and let his hand reach out to the stone. He touched it and felt the knowledge of the thief surge into him. He let his hand drop with the power of the thief within him. The power made him feel… the same.

Hadvar nodded his head, "I see you pick the thief. Seems like what would benefit you the most."

K'Vash just laughed at his remark, "No, it doesn't at all. I feel like all the knowledge and help it was supposed to give me, I already have."

"Have you ever touched the stone before?"

K'Vash thought for a moment, "No, if I did, I think that I would have remembered the feeling."

Hadvar pointed at the warrior stone, "Maybe you should try another stone. If you don't like it, you can always go back."

K'Vash looked over to the warrior stone, he reached out and touched it. This time, skills and techniques flashed before his eyes. He felt his knowledge of axe wielding unlock and everything he had forgotten about it came to mind. He remembered his skills he had achieved came to him and skills he had never known became common knowledge.

"How did that one feel?"

K'Vash brought his hand back, "Very different from the first. This one had an effect."

Hadvar opened his mouth to speak but was cut off when he was tackled by a wolf. K'Vash moved on a new instinct and threw his steel axe at the wolf. It embedded itself in the wolf's skull and pushed it a few feet away from Hadvar from the sheer force of the throw.

"So, was that new or did you know how to throw like that?"

K'Vash just shrugged, "You guess is as good as mine, my friend."

Hadvar got up and the two made it the rest of the way with no more close encounters. They made their way into Riverwood. There, Hadvar took K'Vash to the local blacksmith.

"Uncle Alvor, how are you?"

Alvor looked from Hadvar to K'Vash, "Good, but something's wrong. Who is your friend?"

Hadvar looked away and rubbed the back of his neck, "Uh, this man helped me escape the Helgen. A dragon attacked."

Alvor's eyes grew wide, "A dragon? In Skyrim? Well, that explains the loud sounds from earlier."

K'Vash stepped forward to Alvor, "Yes, the dragon is real. I should know, it picked me up and dropped me from the sky."

Alvor glared at K'Vash, "Ah, maybe we would all have been better off if you had hit the ground harder."

K'Vash leaned back and crossed his arms, "So, you have a problem with me. I get it, please explain."

Alvor crossed his arms as well, "What's not to understand? You came here a few days ago, took our money and left. "

K'Vash began to remember something, he was headed to the mountain, but for what? He finally gave up and sat down on the bench without another word while Alvor and Hadvar spoke. K'Vash sat and watched as the kids played.

As he watched they transformed and the land around the city became flat. K'Vash saw elven children playing with a Kahjiit boy. They were playing a game of tag and the Kahjiit boy was getting ganged up on by the two that were it. The boy ran to the side of a building and climbed his way up with the skill only a Kahjiit could master. The vision was immediately broken when the door to the general store opened and K'Vash watched a thief walk out with something in a bag.

The thief made it away and the store owner arrived. He was whistling a tune and had a bounce in his step. He opened the door and stepped inside.

K'Vash was brought back to Hadvar when he felt a tap on his shoulder. K'Vash stood up and Alvor began to speak.

"Okay, we need you to go to Whiterun. There you need to see the Jarl about getting soldiers here to help us defend if a dragon attacks."

K'Vash chuckled, "So, what makes you think I would help you?"

Alvor reached behind him and brought up a book, "I have your journal. When you stopped by, you left it on the table in the inn."

K'Vash clenched his fist and took a deep breath. He wasn't sure what the contents inside the journal were, but the mere sight of it made him uneasy. Finding no other way to bargain, he relented. "Fine, I'm off."

K'Vash turned and walked away from the blacksmith. He began down the road and was moving as fast as possible. He was moving so fast, he almost got caught off guard when a Khajiit leaped out at him from a bush.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello my good friends! Ferret here with his own installation of K'Vash's Legend. It's been awhile since I've written anything for the Elder Scrolls so this was a great time to shake off the rust. Hope you enjoy!**

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Chapter 2: Welcome to Whiterun

K'Vash had no time to neither think nor plan. All he was able to do was react. His hand snatched the wrists of his would-be attacker and dragged him to the ground. His free hand unhooked his axe from his belt at the same time. His training took over and he slammed his attacker into the ground. The only sound from their fight came from the crunching of the leaves during their struggle.

K'Vash took his opportunity and pinned his knee against the attacker's stomach. It was then that he realized that his assailant wasn't a male. In fact, it was the female Khajiit he saw in Helgen. The woman stared at him wide-eyed, fearing the killing blow K'Vash was about to inflict. Her wrists were held on tightly by K'Vash's much bigger hand and pinned to the ground. The shine of his axe glinted in the sunlight, poised to strike at a moment's notice. Despite his perfect position to end her life, his eyes softened. Whoever this woman was, she had tried to save him. Whatever her reasons, she risked her neck to keep him alive. He might as well do the same.

His hands unraveled from hers. His axe lowered as he removed his knee from her abdomen. The Khajiit picked herself up and brushed the dirt off her robes.

"What are you doing here? Why did you attack me?" he questioned her. The cat's ears perked up at his demand. She held up her hands in an unconscious effort to show she meant no harm

"Many pardons. M'Avela had not been herself lately. The dragon that attacked Helgen destroyed my hut as well. M'Avela has been on edge ever since." She said. K'Vash arced an eyebrow. At least he knew her name, but he was more interested in what she said and all it entailed.

"A hut? Was it outside Helgen?" he asked. M'Avela eagerly nodded.

"Yes, you may recognize it as the one you no doubt awoke in. M'Avela was tending to your wounds and kept you nice and warm during the cold nights." She said with a grin full of pride. K'Vash's whiskers twitched. This was his opportunity to find out what exactly happened to him.

"What happened to me? I only remember waking up in your hut." He said. A look of confusion crossed the young woman's face.

"You mean you do not know? You do not remember?"

"I only remember bits and pieces. What happened to me?" he repeated with slight irritation in his voice. M'Avela shrugged. A long finger rose up and scratched her dark brown fur as she tried to recall the memories from before.

"M'Avela found you lying in the snow behind her hut. Many broken bones and bruises. M'Avela had to guess you fell from the mountain overlooking her home." She recalled. K'Vash closed his eyes and tried to remember, but all that came back was a cold feeling…and anger. He shook his head clean and grunted.

"Thank you. Now if you'll excuse, I must be on my way." He said. He took a few steps and brushed past her. M'Avela dashed forward and seized his arm.

"No wait! M'Avela would be very grateful if she could accompany you." She said. K'Vash whipped around and gave her a hard stare. His calculating eyes scanned her up and down. She was petite and shorter than him, but by no means was she out of shape. She looked very athletic and would certainly possess the natural agility and guile all Khajiits had.

But the more he looked her over, the more he wondered: why should he bring her? He certainly didn't need any help. He had been able to take care of himself since he found himself in this predicament. Bringing along a companion would just put a strain on his resources. Not to mention that he wasn't a fan of babysitting other people.

"Why would I do that? I prefer being on my own. Now, again, if you'll excuse me." He said with finality. He whipped himself around and started down the dirt path. Not five steps have passed until K'Vash felt a sweltering heat explode next to his foot.

K'Vash pulled his foot away only for another inferno to erupt next to his other foot. He turned around and drew his axe. M'Avela was standing behind him, her hands engulfed in fire and a grin on her face, "You see now that M'Avela can fight, yes? M'Avela can help."

K'Vash growled and sheathed his axe, "And you think I'm going to let you come with me? How do I know you're not going to stab me in the back?"

The fire burning in her hand died down, leaving small strands of smoke emanating from her palms. "M'Avela had plenty of times to kill you. She chose not to, because she believes you are her best hope for survival."

K'Vash's face softened. She was cleverer than he gave her credit for. He took one step forward and stared her in the eye. M'Avela held her own ground and stared back at him. Inwardly, she hoped that he would allow it. With her hut destroyed, she had nowhere else to run. A chill ran down her spine with the thought of being vulnerable. K'Vash took a step back. He heaved a sigh and motioned for her to follow him. M'Avela was beaming as she retreated back to the bush she was hiding in. K'Vash raised a brow as she bent down and picked up what looked like a golden staff and a bag.

"M'Avela is ready to travel. Where are we going?" she asked when she rejoined him. She slung the bag over her shoulder and kept her staff firmly in her hand. K'Vash turned back around and walked down the path again. M'Avela kept close to him, feeling safer with him close by.

"Whiterun. I have business with the city's Jarl that I must attend to." He said, keeping his eyes on the road. M'Avela, however, was more interested in admiring the scenery around them. The buzzing of insects mixed in a natural melody with the chirping of birds. The dirt cracked and made a crunching sound underneath their boots. M'Avela, using her staff to push aside some of the foliage, looked around for anything she could use. She found a small blue plant and picked the blossoming flower.

"M'Avela will look for anything useful. She will make potions if time permits." The young cat said as she stuffed the flower in her pack. K'Vash just shrugged off her offers and continued without a word. M'Avela, discouraged by his lack of response, followed quietly.

As they traveled, the sun slowly descended from its throne in the sky. The sky transitioned to an orange and pink color. K'Vash and M'Avela stopped at a clearing just a few feet away from the main road. From here they could see Whiterun. It was a pillar of civilization in the heart of Skyrim's wilderness. The sun was eclipsed by the towering building known as Dragonsreach.

"Incredible! M'Avela has heard many tales of this city. It is more magnificent than she could have imagined." She said. K'Vash shrugged and kept walking without another word. There would only be a few hours left of precious sunlight. K'Vash had to guess that the Jarl didn't accept guests after dark. Even a powerful nord needed his beauty sleep.

"We'll spend the night in this city's inn. Then in the morning, we'll see the Jarl." K'Vash stated as they neared one of the farms that surrounded Whiterun's outskirts. They came close to the main road that led to Whiterun's drawbridge when K'Vash's ears twitched. He froze and listened intently. M'Avela was about to ask him what was wrong when she heard what sounded like stomping. They both turned to the noise's direction and saw a giant wreaking havoc on one of the farms. They were both ready to face it when they noticed the three humans standing around it dishing out damage of their own. One of them, a nord woman from what K'Vash could see, was standing further away from them firing arrows.

A Nord in steel armor swiped his claymore at the giant's leg, collapsing him to one knee. Another woman in hide armor embedded her sword in his stomach. Blood poured out the giant's wound like a river. The giant's life was finally ended with a swift flying arrow to its head.

The behemoth fell backwards, shaking the ground with the impact. The nord in steel armor huffed and sheathed his claymore. The Nord women, wearing what looked like a combination of leather and iron armor noticed the pair and approached them.

"This is Companion business. I would have to ask that you move on." She said. K'Vash frowned. For some reason, the name rang a bell in the back of his mind.

"Who are you? What are the Companions?" he asked. The woman cocked her head to the side as if she were surprised.

"I am surprised you haven't heard of us. My name is Aela and the Companions are the only ones in Skyrim that can solve problems the city guard can't be bothered to handle." She said. K'Vash took a peek over her shoulder and noticed the Nord in steel armor rummaging through the giant's pack. He pulled out what look like black pieces of metal and stuffed them in his own pack.

K'Vash dismissed it and turned his attention back to Aela. "Sounds interesting. You aren't perhaps looking for new recruits, are you?" he asked. If he could gain entry into their little club, there could be gold to be earned. And seeing how he had nothing but an axe and the clothes on his back, he'd welcome it.

"It's not up to me. Go and meet with Kodlack Whitemane up in Jorrvaskr. The old man has a good eye. He could look at you for one second and tell your worth." She said. She looked back at her fellow warriors and cocked her head towards Whiterun. She turned back to K'Vash and said, "If you do go to him, good luck."

Aela gave him a curt nod before leading her comrades down the main road to Whiterun. K'Vash took a quick glance at the giant's corpse before following them with M'Avela in tow. There were only a few hours of sunlight left and K'Vash was exhausted after such a long day. He hoped that he could end the day with a glass of cold beer and a soft bed.

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The sun vanished by the time K'Vash and M'Avela entered the city. Most of the residents had gone home. Only a few people dotted the streets along with a handful of guards. K'Vash looked down at the end of the road. A sign hung next to the door that read 'The Bannered Mare'.

"Finally. If I have to walk anymore, I think I'll collapse." K'Vash muttered as his headed towards the inn. M'Avela strapped her staff securely on her back.

"Do you have money for a room?"

"Of course. I have five septims. Should be enough." He said without looking back.

"It costs ten."

K'Vash stopped in his tracks. His body didn't move an inch. The long pause made M'Avela uneasy. She feared that he may explode. A few tense seconds rolled by before K'Vash pinched his nosebridge and sighed.

"Do not worry. M'Avela has spare gold." She said, reaching towards her pocket and pulling out a coin purse. K'Vash turned to her and growled.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded. M'Avela just shrugged. K'Vash shook his head and opened the inn's door. Music poured out of the entrance out to greet him. The smell of fire-roasted meat permeated his nostrils and made his mouth water. M'Avela came up behind him and heard her stomach growl.

"M'Avela has not eaten in hours. She only has enough coin for one night of food and rest. She does not know where to find more." She said as she stepped foot inside. K'Vash shut the door behind them and scanned the crowd. Most of the crowd was gathered around the fire pit in the center of the inn, listening to the soft tunes coming from the bard's lute.

"Come on in. We've just stoked the fire. Take a seat and get comfortable. Someone will be with you in just a moment." The innkeeper greeted them as she wiped the bar clean with a rag. The two cats looked around for a spare seat. The inn was unusually crowded. K'Vash would bump into other shoulders if he wasn't watching where he was going.

K'Vash felt like everyone was watching them. He could bet that none of them had ever seen a Khajiit within the city's walls. M'Avela looked as uneasy as him. She held her staff tightly and moved closer behind him. K'Vash didn't know how long she had been isolated in her hut, but he could guess that she didn't respond well to crowds by the way she was constantly looking over her shoulder. Finally, K'Vash spotted and empty table in the corner of the inn.

All too eagerly, M'Avela settled herself in one of the chairs, but still kept a firm grip on her staff. K'Vash sat down on the opposite side and scanned the inn. The place was mostly filled with ordinary people, farmers or merchants that have come to drink their night away before collapsing into bed in the early hours of the day. There were a few out of the ordinary characters scattered across the inn. An orc in heavy steel armor with a large scar that ran down his face, a woman wearing black robes and a hood with a red cloth wrapped around her neck, and an argonian with what looked like dwarven weapons and elegant looking clothes.

"Need anything?" a redguard woman asked them. K'Vash turned his attention to her and nodded.

"Horker loaf, well cooked with a dash of mead. A bottle of beer as well." He replied. His stomach growled at the mere thought of delectable food. The redguard turned to M'Avela.

"And for you?" she asked with a small smile.

"M'Avela would like seared slaughterfish with a tankard of water. That is it. We have little money to spare." She said. She reached for her coin purse and placed a few gold pieces in the woman's hands. She stuffed them in her pocket before leaving.

"Is there a reason you're so nervous?" K'Vash asked her bluntly. M'Avela's ears twitched and she gave him a quick hiss.

"It is not wise to discuss personal matters in the company of strangers." She said. She gave the room another look over before adding, "M'Avela has learned that strangers can hide daggers just as well as secrets."

K'Vash didn't offer her a response. Instead, he resigned himself to waiting for their food to arrive. Before long, their long-awaited dinner had arrived. Steam radiated from K'Vash's horker loaf. The juicy, tender aroma filled his nostrils with euphoric desire. K'Vash wasted no time in digging his fork into the cooked meat and scarfing down as much as he could.

M'Avela was eating her dinner at a more reasonable pace. They continued their eating in an unyielding silence. Once K'Vash finished his meal, he gulped down a mouthful of beer. He sighed and dropped his bottle on the table, "Now that hits the spot."

M'Avela took a small sip of water from her tankard when she noticed a figure moving out of the corner of her eye. Running on instinct, she reached for her staff, prepared to strike at a moment's notice. K'Vash didn't seem to notice. He continued drinking his beer like he hadn't drank anything for days.

Suddenly two hands rested on the table. K'Vash looked up to see the very woman in black robes from before. The hood pulled over her head obstructed and view of her eyes, but K'Vash could tell from her pale skin that she was a Breton. He narrowed his eyes in hopes of recognizing who it was, but no name came to mind.

"What is it that you want?" he asked harshly. The woman lifted her head slightly, showing a gleam of light reflecting from her eyes. Despite K'Vash's cold demand, she kept her face blank.

"I need to ask a favor of you. It's important." She said. K'Vash scoffed.

"Really? And why would I help you?" he asked. The woman reached into her pocket and dropped a hefty coin purse on the table.

"I overheard your friend. You help me and you get your hands on this." She said. K'Vash eyed the purse for a moment. It would certainly make things easier for them in the long run. But he still didn't understand why this woman would pick him of all people.

"Why choose me? Certainly, there are other poor saps in here that can do your work." He said.

"True, but none of them have the skills you have. I know who you are, K'Vash. Heck, anyone this side of Tamriel knows who you are. If anyone can do it, it'd certainly be you." She said. K'Vash glanced at M'Avela, who merely shrugged.

"What is it exactly that you need me to do?" he asked while crossing his arms.

"There's a Bosmer on the other side of the inn. He's a Thalmor informant and he's looking for me. I want you to pick his pocket, take anything of value you can find. Make it obvious that you took something and lead him out the back of the inn. I'll take it from there." She explained. K'Vash looked down at the coin purse again. For some reason, he felt the back of his mind tugging at him. Something inside of him wanted that gold. It was a desire that he couldn't ignore. He _needed_ it.

"Fine. I'll do it, but the pay better be worth it." He said. He reached for the coin purse, but the woman snatched it back up before he could lay a finger on it. He growled with slight irritation but the woman just stuffed the coin purse back in her pocket.

"It is. Just look for the Bosmer in the corner." She said again before leaving the two to their business. K'Vash stood up and scanned the room for the Bosmer she was talking about. Surely enough, he found him sitting in the corner with a book in his hands and his back to him.

"What do you want me to do?" M'Avela asked.

"Go rent us the room for the night. I'll go handle this." He said as he started towards the wood elf. He pushed through the thick crowds until he reached the elf's table. His feline eyes carefully scanned him for anything worth stealing. His eyes fell on a small, but noticeable necklace dangling from his back pocket. K'Vash absently licked his lips as his fingers reached out slowly. The tips carefully wrapped around the string that held the necklace together.

This all felt so familiar to him. He knew exactly where to grab the necklace, he knew at what angle to pull so that the elf wouldn't notice it. It felt like he had been doing this for ages. Before he knew it, the necklace was resting in his paws with the Bosmer none the wiser.

With a pleased smirk, he wrapped the necklace's string around his fingers so that the pendant hanged from his hand. He walked around the table with the necklace hanging from his hand in plain sight. He pretended to walk away from the Bosmer.

His slow walking caught the elf's attention and he frowned when he saw his necklace being stolen from him. The elf slammed the book down on the table and growled. "What are you doing with my necklace?"

K'Vash didn't offer a response. Instead he sped up his walking and bolted out of the inn. The elf raced after him. K'Vash rounded the corner of the inn with the Bosmer hot on his trail. He turned the corner again and kept going. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a black mass, but he didn't stop to look.

He heard a sharp gasp followed by a muffled noise and turned around just in time to see the woman in black slam the Bosmer against the inn's wall. Her hand was clasped over her mouth, stopping him from crying out for help. The other hand was pressed firmly against his chest.

"Where is she?" she demanded in a tone as cold as ice. The Bosmer stared at her wide-eyed. K'Vash could tell he knew who she was.

"What are you talking about? I don't know anything, I swear! Let me go" he said. The woman scowled and pulled out what looked like a steel tanto.

_Strange, I've never seen that kind of weapon in Skyrim._ K'Vash thought as he watched her place the sharp blade against his throat.

"No lies, elf. I know you're with them. Where is Elenwen?" she demanded. The wood elf looked between her and K'Vash but said nothing.

"If you're so in favor of staying silent, I may just do you a favor and cut off your tongue." She threatened. Her blade traveled slowly up his throat to chin. With a quick thrust, the blade pierced his skin and blood oozed from the wound. The wood elf yelped and flailed about but the woman kept him in place. She pulled the blade back, holding it in front of him to see the blood dripping from the tip.

"Last chance. Where is Elenwen?" she barked. The Bosmer just stuttered. His words came out slurred and uneasy. The woman groaned in frustration and stabbed her tanto into the wood elf's hand, pinning it to the wooden wall behind him. This time, the elf let out a piercing scream but was quickly silenced by the woman's hand, "It'll only get worse if you don't talk."

The Bosmer took short, quick gulps of air. His sweat made his skin cold to the touch. Blood traveled downwards from his chin and hand. The Breton looked like she was about to deliver another horrible punishment before he yelped again, "NO! No please, I'll talk, I'll talk!" he said. The woman pulled away from him and drew a steel katana from its sheath.

"Talk. I have little patience for those who conspire with wretched vermin." She spat.

"Elenwen…survived Helgen. But she didn't leave Skyrim. The emissary is still at the Thalmor Embassy, conducting her business as usual. That's all I know, please!" he said. The woman frowned. She should have figured that Elenwen retreated back to the embassy. Now things were going to get difficult for her.

"Very well. You've served your purpose." She said in a much more sympathetic tone. The elf thrashed about from his pinned position. Each movement sent daggers of agony through his body.

"That's it? Will you let me go?" he said with hope. The woman frowned.

"If only." She said before stabbing the elf through the chest with her katana. The elf gasped and coughed out blood that splattered on his clothes. The woman pulled the blade back and placed it back into its sheath on her hip. A few moments of silence rolled by while she retrieved her tanto from the elf's hand. The elf's limp body dropped to the ground, lifeless.

She bent down, running her hands along the corpse and occasionally checking his pockets. Her hand dove into his front pocket and pulled out a tattered piece of parchment. After unfolding it, she read through its contents.

"What was that all about? Why are you after this Elenwen person?" K'Vash asked suddenly. The woman turned and took a few steps toward him. Fire could be seen in her eyes from the mention of the emissary's name.

"In case you haven't noticed, I despise the Thalmor. They're a blight upon the land and a threat to everything and everyone. They took something from me, and if that wasn't enough, they subjugate everyone who isn't an elf. They force their will upon all of us and if anyone disobeys…" She said. "People like that should not be allowed to live. I'm here to relieve them of that privilege and I swear by the nine divines that those n'wahs will get what they deserve!"

The pure hate in her tone was obvious. K'Vash was surprised by her conviction. The Thalmor, from what he could remember, never bothered him. He always thought of them as just another nuisance. The woman took a deep breath to calm herself. She lifted her head high enough so that K'Vash could get a clear view of her face.

Sharp, emerald eyes stared back at him. Her face was just as pale as her hands but her cheeks had a slight rosy hue to them. She crinkled her slightly upturned nose as she stared back down at the note. K'Vash could see a small lock of black hair fall from its confines behind the hood. All things considered she was fairly attractive under her black robes.

"I appreciate your help, muthsera. You've more than earned your pay." She said as she reached for the coin purse and dropped it into K'Vash's open paw. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have loose ends to tie up."

"I never did catch your name, you know." K'Vash said as he pocketed his reward. The woman contemplated for a second before giving him the note. He read through it while the woman gathered her things.

_Be on the lookout for a Breton named Scarlet Brynn. She is an enemy to the Thalmor, and has actively disrupted our activities and caused great harm. If spotted, you are to destroy her with extreme hatred._

_Be advised, she is extremely dangerous, and quite able to defend herself. If caught by local authorities, we are unable to offer you any assistance._

_For the glory of the Aldmeri Dominion!_

K'Vash looked back up to see Scarlet grabbing a pale yellow bow that looked to be made of bone and attaching it to her back. "If you ever need my help for anything regarding the Thalmor, let me know.. I'll hiding out in The Reach; in a cave near the river. A man of your stature is bound to have the Thalmor on them sooner or later." She said. Scarlet turned the corner before K'Vash could ask her what she meant.

He sighed and made his way back to the inns interior. M'Avela was already waiting for him back at the table where he left her. As K'Vash drew closer, he noticed how tense she was sitting. When he settled himself down on his seat, she looked up at him.

"Nicely done. M'Avela was impressed with your aptitude, but-"

M'Avela stopped herself when she noticed how confused K'Vash stared at her. He looked as though he had never met her before. "Is something wrong?"

K'Vash didn't know what to say. As soon as M'Avela's mouth opened, she spoke in a completely different voice. It sounded low and almost menacing, but there was familiar warmth in them. K'Vash could swear that he heard it before. He felt like that owner of that voice always brought him comfort; a smile to his lips.

Realizing that she was still waiting for an answer, he shook his head. "No, nothing is wrong. What were you saying?"

M'Avela felt like he wasn't giving a straight answer, but she decided not to press him. "But was it right to lead that man to his death? M'Avela feels like he should have been given the chance to live." She said.

"That woman wanted him dead. As long as she paid, I don't care what she does to him. It was none of my business." K'Vash defended. "Anyways, did you book our rooms?"

"Umm…yes, but they only had one bed available, so we must share." M'Avela said awkwardly. K'Vash furrowed his brow but said nothing. With an abrupt shrug, he got up from his chair.

"Well we only have a few hours of sleep. Let's make the most of it." He said. M'Avela nodded in agreement and followed him to their room upstairs. The entrance to their room overlooked the rest of the tavern. M'Avela unlocked the door and entered, setting her staff against a nearby cupboard.

The room had a rustic theme. The bed was made of hay and wolf's fur. A deer's head hung above it with bookshelves on one side of the bed and a nightstand on the other. K'Vash placed his axe on the nightstand and collapsed on the bed. M'Avela sat down on her side and removed her pouch.

She dipped two fingers inside and pulled out the flower she picked outside of Whiterun. Its deep sapphire petals were a trademark of the Blue Mountain Flower. "Very good, M'avela can use this with her butterfly wings to heal wounds." She said as she placed it back into her pouch.

"You are an alchemist?" K'Vash asked as he began taking off his boots. M'Avela nodded with pride.

"Yes, M'Avela was taught the ways of alchemy. She was to be the next shaman for her tribe in Elsweyr." She said.

"Was?" K'Vash questioned. M'Avela lowered her head and nodded.

"Yes. M'Avela was part of a tribe near the city of Corinth. It was small, but we took care of one another." She said. She stood up and leaned against the wall, crossing her arms, "M'Avela's father was chieftain of the tribe. He was a good leader and an even better father. He taught M'Avela how to survive in the harshest conditions."

"If you were supposed to be a shaman, why are you here?" K'Vash inquired. M'Avela, keeping her calm demeanor, shook her head.

"Forgive M'Avela if she wishes to avoid that conversation," She said. She turned to him and gave him a small smile, "But she appreciates you asking."

K'Vash nodded and lay down. The music playing in the tavern reverberated through the wooden walls. The music was much softer and almost hypnotic in their rhythm. K'Vash found his eyelids drooping until they could no longer hold themselves up. He felt M'Avela lay down next to him before his mind gave way to exhaustion and he fell into a deep sleep.

"_We had a deal."_

"_Not anymore. Too much is at risk and I won't gamble all of our lives for their coin. Even if that's all we care about, it won't matter any if we're all dead before we can collect."_

"_So you're running with your tail between your legs because you're afraid? The empire would be stupid to try and take this territory. Ulfric will surely retaliate and cripple them! This can be nothing but beneficial to us, don't you see that?"_

"_Enough! It was my decision from the start. If you have a problem with it, the door is right out there. Now get back to work."_

…

"_What are you doing here? We had an understanding, why are you bothering me?"_

"_Sorry cat, but orders are orders. Sithis demands blood and I shall deliver it. I haven't skinned a Khajiit in ages."_

"_You can try, you damned assassin, but all you'll achieve is signing your death warrant."_

"_We'll see about that. To the void with you."_

K'Vash's eyes shot open. His breathing was ragged and his fur was damp with sweat. Morning sunlight poured through their one window. The music that carried him to sleep was now gone. The only thing K'Vash could hear was the gentle purring of the woman next to him. He turned his head to see M'Avela curled up next to him. Her head was pressed against his arm and fingers lightly wrapped around his wrist.

K'Vash, snorting in amusement, pulled his arm free from her clutches and sat up. Despite the morning sun shining sunlight into the room, it was still dark. K'Vash had to guess that it was around five in the morning. He whipped his legs around and set them down on the hard wood. He stood up and retrieved his axe from his nightstand and practiced a few swings before placing it at its rightful place on his hip.

He took one last look at M'Avela. Her hand reached out on its own and pulled the fur covers toward her. Her incessant purring drew a low chuckle from the weathered Khajiit. He exited their room and gently closed the door behind him to keep M'Avela from waking. He straightened out his close to smooth the creases over. There were only a few hours until he met the Jarl. He'd need to look presentable.

The sun was making its appearance by the time K'Vash ascended the mighty stone steps to Dragonsreach. K'Vash had spent the last few hours talking with the few villagers that were awake. He thought it would be a good idea to ask about their Jarl to get a better feel for his character.

According to the villagers, Jarl Balgruuf was an honorable man and a firm ruler. He was always looking out for Whiterun and his hold. K'Vash knew he'd have no trouble convincing the Jarl to send aid to Riverwood. He crossed the wooden bridge that led to the Jarl's palace and pushed past the heavy doors.

He almost gasped at the extravagance of the Jarl's palace. The ceiling was high and held up by large, imposing pillars. Near the top were long swooping arms that connected with all the other ones. K'Vash's eyes ran over every inch of the building as he slowly made his way to the stairs ahead of him.

As he neared the steps, he could hear two people arguing. Reaching the top, he was greeted by a frowning dunmer with her sword drawn. "What's the meaning of this? Jarl Balgruuf is not receiving visitors."

K'Vash stood straight and answered with his own hard gaze, "I have news from Riverwood. They call for the Jarl's aid."

The dark elf's face softened. She sheathed her sword and motioned for him to follow her. They both crossed what looked like a large dining room with a large fire pit before they came face to face with the Jarl, who was shushing his steward. K'Vash took a quick step forward and bowed as a sign of respect.

"So, I overheard your conversation with Irileth. You wish to have me send troops to Riverwood?" Balgruuf said in a tone filled with regal authority. K'Vash gave him a quick nod.

"Yes, my lord. Helgen was attacked by a dragon and it was heading this way." He said. Balgruuf's eyes widened and his muscles tensed. Irileth crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, none too pleased with the disturbing news.

"Irileth was right. Shor's bones, I can hardly believe it." He said. He looked up at his steward, who was standing next to him. "What do you say now, Proventus? Can we continue to trust in the might of our walls? Against a dragon?"

Proventus offered no response. Balgruuf turned back to K'Vash and stroked his thick beard. "I will send what aid I can to Riverwood, I promise you. It is my duty to protect the people of my hold after all."

The Jarl's steward, who stayed silent during the course of their exchange, shook his head. "But the Jarl of Falkreath will view this as a provocation! He'll assume we're positioning men for Ulfric and attack them."

"That's a risk I am willing to take. I will not stand idly by while a dragon burns my hold and murders my people." Balgruuf replied sternly. "Inform the people of Riverwood of my decision, Khajiit. I will send the men as soon as I can. Whiterun is in your debt."

K'Vash bowed once more before turning on his heels. He was eager to leave this palace. He didn't feel comfortable being in the heart of a city's power. Before he could take a step, the Jarl called out to him. "If there is anything else about these dragons you can tell me about, be sure to let me know. Any piece of information could be vital to protecting our walls."

"Of course, my Jarl. I will." He replied before continuing on. Once he was past the large doors of Dragonsreach, he made his way to Jorrvaskr to take up the Companions' offer. By now, some of the villagers were waking up and starting their day, but Jorrvaskr stood silently on its hill. K'Vash cracked his knuckles and entered.

The first thing he heard was the loud crackle of the hearth in the middle of the room. Large logs were piled onto it and were engulfed in flames. A few of the men were eating and conversing with one another. All of them looked like they were ready to fight at a moment's notice. K'Vash took a few cautious steps. For some reason, he felt very uneasy around these people. He felt like he didn't belong.

One of the men noticed him and promptly approached the vigilant cat. His hair and beard were a dark gray, evidence to the wise aura that seemed to surround him. His unfamiliar armor held broad pauldrons and engraved gauntlets. But what really caught K'Vash's eye was the wolf engraved on the chest of the man's armor. K'Vash could bet that the armor was worth a shiny septim or two. The old Nord spoke with a deep, resonating voice that spoke volumes about the man's experience.

"Ah, Aela mentioned something about a possible recruit. I see, as always, she was not misguided in her judgment." He said. "I am Kodlak Whitemane, Harbinger of the Companions."

"It is a pleasure, Harbinger. I understand that you are indeed looking for recruits." K'Vash said.

"Aye. But first, we must test your mettle. We need to know that you have the strength to overcome anything that is thrown at you." He said. He looked back at the others in the room, contemplating briefly before turning back to him. "There is a fort to the southeast of here. It goes by the name Fort Bendel. It's infested with bandits, but if Aela's assumption is correct, I'm sure you can handle it."

K'Vash gave a confident grin. "Sounds easy enough. I'll be back after clearing it out." He said.

"Very well. Good luck, my friend. You may need it."

* * *

K'Vash returned to the Bannered Mare after his chat with Kodlak. As soon as he entered, he noticed M'Avela sitting in the corner reading a book. Her staff, as always, was by her side. K'Vash strolled up next to her and tapped her on the shoulder. M'Avela jumped slightly at the sudden contact but relaxed when she saw who it was, "It is good that you are here. M'Avela was worried that you had abandoned her." She half-joked.

"We have to go. I found us a way to get us more coin. We have to clean out Fort Bendel of bandits for the Companions. With their help, we'll get a lot farther." K'Vash said while checking his axe for any signs of breaking. M'Avela looked uneasy between him and his trusty axe.

"M'Avela is not used to killing others, but she will do what she must if it pleases you." She said. She wrapped her hand around her staff. As soon as her skin made contact with the golden metal, a faint red glow emanated from its tip. The air around it began to shimmer and crackle, "M'Avela is ready. She has been spending her time making potions for us so we are prepared for anything."

Together they both walked out of the inn with purpose in their step. Once they were out of the city, they followed the trail towards The Rift. The only sound came from the rushing water from the river next to them as they walked.

"Are you feeling alright? M'Avela was worried about you." She said suddenly. K'Vash shot her a confused stare.

"What are you talking about?"

"Late at night, M'Avela saw you thrashing about in your sleep. You were constantly muttering about an 'Ironhide'. M'Avela was very puzzled." She said. K'Vash stared down at the ground as they walked. The name rang a small bell in his mind. But he couldn't remember a thing. All he could remember was something about a war.

"Forget about it. It'll come to me soon." He said with a shake of his head. M'Avela shrugged and walked the rest of the way in silence. The sun floated high in the sky by the time they reached their objective. K'Vash was perched on top of a tree. He watched the fort with the eyes of a predator. Two bandits were patrolling the ruined walls. One more was in the courtyard inside a shed. He looked down the tree. M'Avela was hiding behind its massive trunk, holding her staff close.

"Think you could hit one of bandits on the wall with that?" he asked. M'Avela nodded and aimed her staff at the nearest bandit. Tendrils of fire warped around the tip of her staff and formed a ball of fire. M'Avela took a deep breath before flicking her thumb and sending the inferno flying. The ball of fire soared through the air and crashed into the unaware bandit. The ball erupted into a fiery explosion and the bandit's howls of pain quickly ended, but it was enough to get the attention of the rest of the bandits.

K'Vash cursed under his breath and jumped down from his perch. He drew his axe and charged the front of the fort. M'Avela quickly followed him with two handfuls of lightning. One of the bandits noticed him charging and ran to meet him. He drew his steel sword and held it high above his head, ready to strike.

As soon as the two came close, the bandit brought his blade down. K'Vash stepped off to the side and buried his axe into the man's shoulder. The bandit growled and brought his elbow back, smacking K'Vash in the jaw. He stumbled backwards and hissed, charging the bandit again.

Meanwhile, M'Avela sprayed the floor in front of her with fire as the other bandit came. But to her surprise, the bandit jumped right through it. His iron armor helped protect him from any serious burns. M'Avela brought her staff up and jabbed the bandit in the mouth. Before the bandit could counter, M'Avela kicked him in the stomach and swiped her staff across her face. The tendrils of flame scorched the man's scarred cheek.

"Gah, you stupid cat!" the bandit barked. He drew his mace and swiped it through the air, aiming for M'Avela's head. Reacting quickly, M'Avela staggered back, momentarily losing her balance. Her opponent noticed his opportunity and stabbed his mace forward, landing a hard hit in her stomach. The wind was knocked out of her lungs and fell to the ground.

The bandit laughed with a stone cold smile. He brought his mace up for the killing blow. M'Avela held out her staff in front of her and drove it into the man's crotch. The bandit doubled over and held onto his family jewels. M'Avela aimed her staff and blasted him with a bout of fire, ending his life.

K'Vash kicked his opponent in the stomach and drove his axe's blade into his skull. Blood spat out from the blow and landed on K'Vash's armor. The bandit sunk to the ground, unmoving. K'Vash ran two fingers over his axe, wiping the blood from its blade. "Well that takes care of that." He muttered. M'Avela pushed herself up and poked the dead body in front of her with her staff.

"M'Avela is willing to bet there will be more." She said. K'Vash looked through the pockets of his freshly killed opponent for anything useful.

"Agreed. Best to not attract any attention until we know what we're up against." He said as he pulled out a small red vial. He took a quick whiff before gagging and holding the vial away in disgust. The smell was horrid. Like a mixture of rotting meat and a sewer rat. M'Avela took it from his hands and took a sniff as well

"Poison. Powerful from the stench. M'Avela suggests that you save this for later." She said, handing it back to him. K'Vash muttered something under his breath and stored it in his pouch.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

K'Vash and M'Avela turned. A nord wearing steel armor came out from the fort, his hammer at the ready. Behind him, two more bandits followed with their weapons drawn. K'Vash growled and held his axe at the ready. M'Avela took two steps back. Lighting sprung from her palms as the bandits drew closer.

"You should have stayed home, cats. You're never going to leave this place alive." He sneered. K'Vash glanced at M'Avela. Electricity bounced from one finger to another. He could hear the low hum of the electricity in her hands.

"You've got it backwards, friend. Someone will die this day, but it won't be us." He replied. The nord sadistic grin widened.

"You have confidence. That's good. Makes killing you that much sweeter." He said. A maniacal laugh filled the air as charged them. K'Vash planted his feet firmly and held his ground. The two other bandits circled around him. M'Avela charged her lightning bolt and covered K'Vash's side, leaving him to deal with the bandit leader.

His massive hammer came at him in full swing. K'Vash barely had enough time to dodge the deadly swing and dash forward, giving the nord a swift jab to the jaw. The nord didn't even flinch. He head-butted K'Vash in the face and thrusted his hammer forward, knocking K'Vash back.

"Can't wait to watch the life fade from your eyes." He bellowed. He swung his hammer wildly in the air. K'Vash lunged forward and made a quick swipe towards the bandit leader. His axe embedded itself into the handle of his hammer. The bandit's pushed his handle forward and hit K'Vash in the forehead. K'Vash could feel a warm drop of blood trickle down his forehead.

"I didn't think you'd bleed so easily. This'll be easier than I thought." The bandit snickered. K'Vash ran a furry paw over his face and wiped the blood away.

"Enjoy it while you can, filth. That's all you'll get from me." He retorted.

"Big talk coming from a dead cat. I look forward to breaking you."

From K'Vash's side, M'Avela was trying to keep the bandit's goons at bay with a few bolts of lightning. A wave of exhaustion washed over her. She could feel the magicka in her veins fading from their constant abuse. She took a deep breath and focused her energy for one last bolt. The electricity pinched her skin as it leapt out of her hands and collided with one of the bandits' chest. The lightning traveled across his bare chest and singed his skin with merciless burns.

The power behind her magic catapulted him back several meters. His body rolled to a stop. His chest rose once before weakening and coming to a complete stop.

M'Avela held her staff close and aimed it at the other bandit, daring him to take a step closer. Behind her, she could hear the clashing of steel. K'Vash rolled out of the way of an oncoming attack. He leapt up to his feet behind the leader and landed a clean hit on the bandit's back. The nord just threw a hearty laugh and backhanded K'Vash across the face. The Nord's brutish strength sent K'Vash sprawling to the floor.

"Have you given up yet? I promise to make your death quick and painless." He grinned. K'Vash got up to his feet and growled, exposing his razor sharp teeth. He cried out as he charged the nord again.

M'Avela dodged an oncoming sword and slashed her claws across her attacker's face. Drops of crimson fell from his cheek. The bandit reeled back in pain and hissed from the sting of her piercing claws. M'Avela darted up to him and slashed his face again. Her claws were relentless as they tore through soft flesh. The bandit's hisses became cries as more and more scratches decorated his body and face.

Finally, M'Avela butt her head with his, stunning him as he fell to one knee. M'Avela scowled as she delivered a swift claw through the bandit's neck, severing an artery. Blood cascaded from his neck like a river and he bled out in seconds.

M'Avela turned around to help K'Vash but was only met with an instant hammer blow to her stomach. The air was knocked out of her and she fell into a severe coughing fit. M'Avela fell to her hands and knees. Her breaths were short and ragged. She looked up to see K'Vash lying on the ground, unmoving.

"I'm amazed you've lasted this long. But of course, it was all for naught. If nothing else, I am a man of my word." The nord said to her as he hefted his might hammer. "If I say I'll survive, I'll survive. If I say you'll die, you will die."

The Nord kicked M'Avela to her side. She curled up in the fetal position, unable to fight back. Pain shot through her body with every breath. The Nord planted a foot on her chest and held his hammer high above his head. M'Avela shut her eyes and wrapped her hands around his foot, trying to push him off of her.

The Nord wouldn't budge. He was savoring every moment before he would take the puny cat's life. M'Avela clawed at his foot, but his armor prevented her from doing any damage.

"Try as much as you like, but your blood is the only one that is going to flow in the mud." He said confidently. He held his hammer high and brought it back down. M'Avela could feel the rushing of wind as the great weight came closer to her face. Then it stopped and was followed by a terrible shriek. M'Avela looked up to see K'Vash's axe stuck in the Nord's arm. Blood oozed from his arm and flowed down to his fingers. His hammer fell beside him as his foot moved from her chest.

M'Avela looked up to see K'Vash holding his arm and glaring at the Nord through one eye. His other eye was bruised and cut and a thick red mark ran across his snout.

K'Vash stepped closer as his fury grew. He could feel something growing within him; a sort of surreal power growing inside him. His entire body glowed an ominous red as he neared the injured Nord. K'Vash came to a stop. The power inside him lashed out. A large red and purple orb expelled from his body and came barreling toward the Nord. M'Avela jumped out of the way, but the Nord couldn't escape its wrath.

As soon as his skin made contact with it, his body became weak. He fell to his knees and felt his life being drained from him. Soon not even his knees could support him and he fell to the ground. His muscles wouldn't move an inch as a cold embrace swallowed him whole. The last thing he saw were tendrils whipping out from his body and floating towards K'Vash. They touched his injuries and slowly began to heal themselves.

M'Avela stood up and took a few steps back. She was utterly shocked at K'Vash's apparent display of magic. By the look on his face, he was just as shocked as she was. "What was that?"

"I do not know. It just happened. I don't remember having any magical abilities." K'Vash said, utterly baffled. The tendrils disappeared, leaving a healthy K'Vash in its wake.

"M'Avela has never seen that kind of magic before. It looked more powerful than anything she had ever seen." She said. K'Vash walked up to the corpse of the bandit leader and retrieved his axe from his arm.

"I don't know how I did it, it just happened. But I feel better now and I think we've cleared the fort out. Let's get going." He said, sheathing his trusty weapon.

"Are you sure? M'Avela saw you endure a terrible beating. Perhaps it is more wise to rest." She said with concern.

"I'm fine. It's nothing to worry about. Let's just go." K'Vash kept walking without waiting for a reply. M'Avela sighed and ran after him. She wasn't sure what happened to him, but she was too curious to leave it alone. She could only hope that it could help her figure out who he was and where he came from.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone (Starspike7 here), this is way late and I apologize. I have been having computer troubles and this chapter has been rewritten about three times. I took the previous reviews to heart and I hope you feel that I put your advice to good use and until next time… ROAD HOUSE!**

Chapter 3: Going For a Jog

K'Vash stepped up to the doors of Jorrvaskr and looked back to M'Avela. They hadn't spoken since leaving the fort and he knew she couldn't come with him. He looked her right in the eye and took a deep breath.

"Okay, I don't know what will happen from here. I figure we won't see too much of each other for who knows how long. Anyway-"

M'Avela put a hand up to stop him, "M'Avela will stay somewhere for now. She will see you when you get back."

K'Vash was dumb struck by what she said and raised an eyebrow. There was something in her voice. Something… K'Vash just shook off his last thoughts and gave her a nod. She turned and left. K'Vash had two feelings at this point. Curiosity about what M'Avela was doing and anxiety for what the companions have in store.

K'Vash pushed open the door and was caught by Aela, "Ah, I see you have finished everyone at the fort?"

K'Vash just stepped in and crossed his arms, "Yes, I did. I came back to see Kodlack."

Aela, stepped out of the way and motioned toward the stairs. K'Vash stepped past and made his way to the lower hall to see Kodlack. He walked down the hall and some of the members gawked at him. Something told him that it was only going to get harder from here on. He stepped into Kodlak's room and Kodlak motioned for him to sit down.

K'Vash sat and Kodlack began to speak, "Alright, I do this for everyone who wants to be a recruit here. I am offering you to opt out of the guild while you have a chance. Nobody will think less of you. Nobody will harass you. Now is your only chance though."

K'Vash sat up straight and cemented himself, "No."

Kodlack leaned back in his chair, "Then, your training begins in the morning. Don't sleep in."

...

K'Vash was standing in a midst of people, everyone was watching something happen but K'Vash couldn't see what they were looking at. He began pushing his way through the crowd. Trying to see what was happening. He finally got to the front and saw a Nord shout another Nord to death. K'Vash didn't know how but he just shouted a word. It was a word like 'fus' by the sound.

K'Vash began making his way toward the man reaching back for his axe. Instead, he grabbed the hand of a woman. He turned and saw a Dunmer holding his hand, shaking her head no. K'Vash looked from her back to the man who was beginning to flee. K'Vash felt a hatred form in his gut and he wanted to go after him.

Before K'Vash could pull away from the woman, she turned him around and said, "K'Vash we need to move."

...

K'Vash woke up to Aela the Huntress standing over him. She had a smile on her face and tree branch in one hand. She threw the branch on top of K'Vash and motioned for the door.

"Get ready, your training starts today."

K'Vash picked up the stick and looked at it, "I thought you were going to train me in agility."

Aela just laughed in his face, "No, endurance is what my training is. Without it, you will hardly even be able to start Vilkas's regimen."

K'Vash sat the stick down and reached over for his armor, in its place he found a fur kilt. He picked it up and gave Aela an inquisitive look, "So, you would like to see my chest, would you?"

"Please cat, a man for me has to be more… animalistic", the way Aela spoke the last part made K'Vash uneasy. He got up and put the kilt on as Aela headed outside.

They walked to the gates of Whiterun when Aela began to speak, "Alright, we will be training for a month. Our goal is to run to Riverwood and back each day."

K'Vash nodded, "That shouldn't be too hard."

Aela gave a smile and looked down to the firewood by the entry, "Good, then it should be harder if you are carrying firewood."

K'Vash raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me?"

Aela's smile grew bigger, "Well, each day we will need to run firewood to Riverwood to get money. With that money you won't be expected to pay a training fee."

"Alright", K'Vash walked over and made two bundles of firewood.

He threw one on his back and tried to hand the other to Aela, "Don't be ridiculous. You will be carrying them."

The bundles already began to feel heavy in his arms, "What? This doesn't make any sense."

Aela just shrugged, "Well, I'm not the one training, you are. So, you will carry the firewood each day. Now, let's go."

K'Vash opened his mouth to protest but was denied when Aela took off running and left K'Vash in her dust. K'Vash had to hike up the bundles and run after her. He began running down the path but the rocky road and the new weight he added was slowing him down majorly. He continued to run and made his way as fast as he possibly could.

After about two miles, K'Vash was exhausted. He felt like he had never ran distances before. His entire body was screaming that he wasn't doing it right.

K'Vash dropped the wood and sat down on a rock. His muscles were worn and exhausted. K'Vash looked around and couldn't see Aela anywhere. He figured now would be as good a time as any to relax. He slid down on the rock and sat on the ground. He let his eyes close and felt himself drift away.

He was brought back by a growling in the bushes to his left. K'Vash stood up and picked the wood back up. He figured he had rested long enough. K'Vash started to walk down the path when he heard the growling again.

He looked behind him and says two glowing yellow eyes in the bush behind him. K'Vash tried to brush it off and start walking when the monster stepped out from its hiding place. K'Vash saw it and immediately knew what it was.

The yellow eyes, sharp claws, wolf like appearance, and bipedal nature of the beast pointed to werewolf. K'Vash looked from the wolf to the sky. It was still midday and he was face to face with a werewolf. K'Vash looked back to the beast and saw it charging toward him at an incredible pace. K'Vash had only his instincts to rely on and they all screamed run.

K'Vash took off and sprinted as fast as he possibly could down the path. He ran so fast and yet the beast was so much closer than the town he was heading toward. He looked back and only took a glimpse of the burning yellow eyes that the beast had. This made K'Vash speed up even more and he heard the beast's footsteps dwindle off and stop.

K'Vash didn't stop at this however, he continued to run. He was not going to be a meal for a hungry wolf. He had so much to live for like… and… with… K'Vash let a curse for his bad memory. He couldn't even remember if there was anyone for him.

The thoughts of a precious someone took his thoughts to M'Avela. He thought about how she saved him, how she had tried to help him, how she trusted him to come back for her, and he didn't even know her for two seconds really. If anything, he had to survive long enough to repay his debt to her.

K'Vash got so deep in thought he tripped and fell to the ground. K'Vash stood up quickly and looked behind him. He didn't see the werewolf but he did see a regular wolf. K'Vash had nothing to defend himself with besides his claws, the again he might have something else.

K'Vash focused on the wolf like he had the man at the fort. He felt something grow in his right hand. He looked down at it and saw a dark energy resonating in his palm. Without thinking, like he had done it a million times before, K'Vash thrusted his arm out and sent a tendril out at the wolf.

The tendril struck the wolf and the wolf began to glow. K'Vash felt himself getting stronger and saw the wolf weakening. Before his eyes, the wolf disintegrated and blew off into the wind. K'Vash then felt something was over him. His strength full renewed. He felt like he had before he went out on the run.

K'Vash took off toward the town with his new found energy. Along with the energy he felt something else. His senses were heightened like that of a feral predator. He heard every gust of wind and seemed to feel the prey around him. Then it was over as a wave of exhaustion washed over him.

He just coasted through the rest of the run and ended up in Riverwood within an hour. He walked in and the first person to greet him was Aela. She walked over to him as he stopped.

"Good, you are here. I thought that you had passed out in the forest. Glad to see you didn't puss out."

K'Vash unslung the fire wood and sat the bundles on the ground, "Go to Oblivion." After that, K'Vash felt his breath leave him and he fell backwards. K'Vash hit the ground hard and his eyes unfocused. All the colors around him blurred and he was gone.

**Twenty-nine Days Later**

K'Vash caught the branch as it fell on him. He then opened his eyes and looked to Aela, "That hasn't worked since day thirteen."

Aela gave a smirk, "Just means that my training is taking affect."

K'Vash just stood up. He left his bunk and grabbed his imperial armor. Aela had given it back after the third week. It was the worst day since the first day. The extra weight took him down quite a bit but he had gotten over it.

Now, K'Vash had the endurance but today was different. Aela had broken the news to him thirteen days in that if he didn't beat her, he would have to restart at day one and wait another month to move on. After how the last month had been, K'Vash was not going to lose.

Aela led K'Vash out to the grounds where K'Vash's bundles were already made. K'Vash raised an eyebrow to this and looked over to Aela.

"Don't think that I did you this service. Kodlak wants to see you excel and knows that you will need every ounce of stamina and energy possible."

K'Vash stretched his legs and grabbed the bundles. He through them both together and strapped them to his back, he wasn't going to say anything to Aela. Last time he did he tripped and sprained his ankle. She still made him fun the whole length.

K'Vash and Aela walked down to the gates of Whiterun and took their places. Nobody said anything and instead just let the earth around them tell when to go. K'Vash closed his eyes and felt the power around him. He felt the wind on his back as if to say it would help him succeed. The earth felt harder under his boots, showing that he wouldn't be running through mud.

K'Vash heard a boom in the sky, K'Vash took off with Aela. They both were on the same wave length. The earth was speaking to both of them today. It wanted an even playing field and everything was in harmony.

K'Vash and Aela stayed neck and neck for their run. They got passed the first lookout post and drove deep into the woods. Neither runner gave an inch, both competing as if their lives were on the line.

K'Vash just began to pull ahead when Aela shot forward faster that K'Vash had ever seen her travel. He tried running faster to close the gap but Aela was just too far from him. This forced K'Vash to take desperate measures and he ran from the path in the direction he hoped lead to Riverwood.

He began running through the dirt and mud, over rocks and gravel, even up into trees to get closer to ledges. He ran toward Riverwood and when he saw smoke rising from stacks, he knew he was headed the right direction. K'Vash finally gave it one good push and broke through the trees into the open path to get to the bridge. He looked back and didn't see Aela anywhere. K'Vash smile and knew he had won.

K'Vash finished his sprint down the path and across the bridge to Riverwood. K'Vash stopped immediately and sat by the edge of the bridge. His exhaustion had gotten to where it had been the first day. He was beat and there was no more running for him.

K'Vash sat and relaxed as he waited for Aela but she never arrived. Once the sun was directly over head K;Vash knew something was wrong. He dropped the wood by the bridge and ran off down the path. He kept to a jogging pace but made ground quickly. He rounded a few bends but still no Aela.

K'Vash needed to find her and proceeded to step off the path and search around the woods for her. He traveled through the forest coming to ponds and places that would be good to rest at but he still couldn't find her. K'Vash figured he needed to walk even further into the forest and in doing so began to hear a pounding sound.

K'Vash walked into the direction he assumed the sound was coming from and saw a giant walking through the forest. K'Vash proceeded carefully and snuck up to the giant. K'Vash got close enough to see the giant was carrying a person and by the time K'Vash saw the red hair on her head, he knew who it was.

Aela was captured by a giant and was in need of help. K'Vash though about possible options, He could run and get help but in that time he could lose the giant. He could attack it but that could leave him dead, too bad that is the only choice that K'Vash could run with.

K'Vash began formulating his plan of attack; he looked around for a weapon. He spied Aela's bow and arrows and that became his prime target to steal. K'Vash cracked his knuckles, "Time to go to work."

K'Vash crouched low to the ground and made his way to the giant taking care not to step on any twigs or branches. K'Vash's mission was looking like it would take forever until the giant stopped after wacking his head on a branch. K'Vash grasped at this momentary pause to snatch Aela's bow and arrows and duck behind a tree.

K'Vash strapped the bow and arrows to him and began faze two. He reached up and climbed into the tree to get a better vantage point. K'Vash then traveled through the trees until he got in front of the giant in a clearing. K'Vash readied an arrow and waited till he had the best shot.

Time slowed down as the giant got into the perfect range. K'Vash felt his vision tunnel and zoom to where K'Vash was aiming. He let out the breath he was holding and loosed the arrow at the same time. The arrow wizzed through tree branched and leaves and connected to the giant's eye. The giant dropped Aela and reached up to his new wound roaring in pain. K'Vash quickly readied and loosed another arrow at the giant and sent it right through the monsters mouth.

The giant wielded his club in rage and charged in the direction of K'Vash. K'Vash quickly began to climb higher in the tree as the giant barreled his way through the trees, smashing them down with his club. He ran through and smashed the tree K'Vash was hiding in.

K'Vash used this to his advantage and leaned toward the giant causing the tree to fall on top of the giant's head effectively knocking the beast out. K'Vash settled for that and didn't stick around to try and kill the monster. He ran to Aela and hefted her onto his shoulders.

The giant was already recovering from the blow to the head by the tree and looking in K'Vash's direction. K'Vash took off toward Whiterun, he wasn't going to stand toe to toe with a giant. K'Vash ran through the forest over rocks and in dirt. He didn't slow down for a second. The constant reminder of the situation was the shallow breath of Aela in his ear.

As K'Vash ran he heard the sprinting giant behind him getting farther away. Either it had taken a wrong turn or was giving up the chase. K'Vash was beginning to think he was home free until he saw the big open space to Whiterun and how far he was.

The day was really wearing him down, it wasn't even noon yet and he felt like he had ran to Falkreath and back. K'Vash was about to collapse when he saw a deer off to the right. Either he was just plain lucky or it was a gift from Talos. No matter what K'Vash would use it to his advantage.

K'Vash thrusted his arm out in the motion he had down thirty-one days ago and saw the tendril of energy slither from his hand and engulf the deer. Within seconds of using the power, K'Vash was back up to full strength and he closed the gap in no time. K'Vash made it to Whiterun and he didn't stop running until he made it to Jorraskr.

K'Vash busted through the doors of the mead hall and ran over to the table. Farkas stood up and brushed off the plates and food off the table to make room for Aela. K'Vash set her down on the table and was quickly swept aside while the others began to work on her.

K'Vash walked away from the fuss and say in a chair at the table. He reached onto the table and grabbed an apple from the bowl. K'Vash licked his lips as the hunger from running the distance had set in and it was time to eat. He brought the apple to his mouth and proceeded to take a bite when he was smacked in the back causing him to bite down on the apple farther in than he wanted to. Now the apple was stuck in his mouth and whoever put him in this awkward position was going to pay.

K'Vash turned to see a smiling Vilkas, "You ready to start my training regimen?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello everyone, I tried to focus as much on this as possible but real life decided to rear its head in at the worst possible time. Regardless, hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 4: Sharpening the Axe

K'Vash tried to pry the apple from his razor-sharp teeth. Sometimes they could be more of a curse than a gift. His fur palm yanked the fruit out of his mouth and set it down on the table.

"What happened?"

K'Vash turned to Vilkas before realizing that Aela was still on the table. "Eh, it's a long story. I just found her getting carried off by the lumbering oaf of a giant before I put it down. She's been out cold ever since I found her." Vilkas' sharp eyes watched Aela's unconscious form, his face blank. K'Vash pulled himself out of his seat.

"So what is this regimen, you speak of?" he asked. Vilkas' attention flicked back to him and he grinned. The blunt manner in which he did was slightly off-putting.

"Aye, first you're going to have to take a rest. You're going to need it." He said, crossing his arms. K'Vash spared another glance at Aela's unconscious form before nodding and retiring to his bed. Several of the other companions gathered around the table, trying to tend to their fallen comrade.

K'Vash could hear the rattled whispers as he left the main chamber. While he was concerned for Aela, he knew that worrying about it too much would accomplish nothing. After quickly descending the stairs and entering the recruit's hall, K'Vash collapsed on his bed. He realized that his muscles were still a little sore from the exertion. It did little to bother him, however. He'd been running with logs enough for the discomfort to be minimal.

K'Vash adjusted himself so that he was laid along the fur and hay that comprised his bed. After some adjustments, he reached a comfortable position. His eyelids dropped slowly but surely, taking him into a deep sleep.

…

The soft sound of powder being grinded was the only thing that could be heard in the large wooden room. M'Avela's tired eyes carefully observed every little detail of the blue powder in her mortar. Her wrist ached from the constant motion of crushing her mixture with a clay pestle.

Arcadia was grateful enough to allow her to use the alchemy lab for her own purposes. A multitude of ingredients were strewn across the stone table. Almost all were collected before she met K'Vash. She clutched a strip of charred skeever hide and tossed it into the mortar, vigorously pounding it into small bits. The powder took on a more dark color. M'Avela dropped its contents into the small oven in front of her, savoring the smell before locking the small metal door.

The soft crackling coming from the capsule helped soothe her tired nerves. It had been days since she last saw K'Vash. Although she had alchemy as a way to pass the time, she still wondered how his trials were faring.

If she had to guess, she assumed that whatever the Companions were dishing out at him, he'd survive it with hardly a scratch. A natural with an axe, coupled with the fact that his skills were slowly coming back to him, and she knew that he had been able to handle himself before whatever happened to him that made him lose his memory.

Speaking of his memory, M'Avela peered through the tiny holes in the capsule. The powder cracked and bubbled. M'Avela toned down the fire and fished out her experiment. Practice wasn't the only reason she decided to go through with her tests. The potion that currently sat in the oven was also an attempt to restore his memory. Unfortunately, M'Avela hadn't the faintest idea if such things were possible, but she could always try.

After carefully dumping the now heated mush into a ceramic plate, she poured it into the alembic before adding a couple of vials that she kept in her bag. A slight smile spread across her lips when she imagined the look on his face when she presented a way to restore his memory. Assuming it worked, of course. She had to call upon all her knowledge of the various ingredients and their properties. One slight miscalculation and she'll end up feeding K'Vash a poison rather than a remedy.

While the potion bubbled in its glass container, M'Avela set to work on the second component of her experiment. The procedure lay fresh in her mind, allowing it to wander as she went about her test.

Inevitably, her mind wandered back to K'Vash. A certain charm seemed to emanate from the interesting Khajiit. M'Avela's finger tapped against her broad nose as she briefly contemplated. She could always feel a purposeful aura coming from him, no doubt because of his past that had been locked away. She had to admit, between his abnormal magical powers and his apparent fame judging from what the Breton said at the tavern, she was thoroughly interested in his past.

That said, what little she knew of him also spoke danger. It seemed apparent that he didn't fall down the mountain by accident. If whoever did it found out he was still alive, they may try to finish the job.

She heard his thrashing about while they were sleeping in the Bannered Mare. It was nothing short of a miracle that he didn't wake up the entire tavern. Whatever the subject of his dream, M'Avela was sure it was serious.

A part of her argued whether or not to bring it up. Despite her own curiosity, M'Avela knew better than to try and pry into the lives of people she'd barely met. Still, there was no denying that M'Avela was more than willing to help him if he needed it.

Her attention jumped back to her concoction. Without a second thought, she resumed tending to her potion. She didn't know how long it would take for K'Vash to finish his trials, but M'Avela wanted her gift to be ready before then.

…

A large hand seized the hem of K'Vash's armor, yanking him out of his peaceful slumber. His first instinct was to attack his aggressor but he quickly realized he had no weapon to carry through. If K'Vash still had a weapon on him, things would have turned much worse. Vilkas towered over him, the same disconcerting grin on his face.

"You ready for your training, whelp?" he asked, pulling K'Vash out of his bed before he could even answer. After the hold on his armor broke, K'Vash straightened himself, looking less than pleased with the rude awakening. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, K'Vash reluctantly followed Vilkas out of the living quarters. The sheer lack of tact wasn't lost on him.

"Where are we going?" he asked as he chased away the remainder of his sleepiness. Vilkas tilted his head to the side, but didn't turn to face him.

"You'll see.

...

The sky was covered in a gray blanket. K'Vash could swear more than a few raindrops fell on his matted fur. Vilkas walked a few steps ahead, carrying a woodcutter's axe. The soft ground gave way easily under the weight of K'Vash's boot. The sounds spilling out from the city walls deadened to a near whisper as they came closer to the forest.

"Aela's a nimble one; she can hit the skull of a lout from across town. And if the shot doesn't kill 'em, the poison she puts on her arrows would." Vilkas said, tossing a sideways glance at the Khajiit before turning his eyes back on the road. "She taught you how to be quick on your feet, something that can save your hide more than a blade could. Now you're going to learn that it's not the blade that'll save your life, it's your strength."

The duo came to a stop at the forest's horizon. K'Vash was about to ask him to elaborate before Vilkas chucked the axe towards him. The wooden handle landed in his outstretched hand. K'Vash twirled the axe, testing its weight. Vilkas brushed past K'Vash and sat down on a rotting tree stump.

"Start cutting."

K'Vash replied with a confused look. "What?"

Vilkas' lopsided grin returned albeit slightly smaller. "Where do you think Aela got all the timber for you to run with?"

K'Vash's feline eyes fell on the axe's head. The edge glinted in the little light that broke through the clouds. He could pick out chips and scratches that adorned the axe's otherwise perfect condition. It wasn't very dull, but it wasn't very sharp either.

The perceptive Khajiit figured this was all part of Vilkas' training. Make him compensate for the axe's shortcomings by hitting the mighty trunk harder and more often. K'Vash had to admit, Vilkas was cleverer than he expected.

With a curt nod, K'Vash approached the towering tree. The deep green needles that were the tree's leaves shook ever so slightly against the gentle breeze. The fresh pine smell entered K'Vash's nostrils as he prepared to begin.

The axe's blade wound backwards before slamming into the tree's trunk. K'Vash could feel the force jump into his bones as the axe made contact. Retreating the axe, K'Vash mumbled under his breath when he realized he just barely made a dent in the tree's natural hide. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and tired again and again and again.

Soon, K'Vash lost track of how many times he hit it. All the while, Vilkas laid back, content to watch K'Vash trying over and over. Before he knew it, the tree creaked under the absence of half of its base. K'Vash stepped back, staring up into the sky as the tree gave way. Sharp cracks ripped through the air as the last of the tree's base crumbled. The proud trunk fell to the ground, disturbing the otherwise serene environment.

"Nice hacking." Was all Vilkas offered in praise. He stood up from his post and lightly kicked the tree. "I'll get some of the other whelps to chop it down. You're done here."

K'Vash brought his axe down in a chopping motion. The blade landed in the newly-cut tree stump, keeping it in place when it left K'Vash's hands. Only after did the handle leave his grip did he notice how sore his hands were.

If Aela's training was any indication, his time with Vilkas wasn't going to end any time soon. More than likely, he had something else in mind. However, K'Vash was more than grateful that he didn't have to do much else for today. Without a word, K'Vash began his trek back to Whiterun lightly massaging his arm as he went.

…

M'Avela placed a pinch of bonemeal into a blue bottle. She was placing the final touches on her remedy. It had taken more days than she would have liked, but she felt it was more than worth it. Her dark, analytical eyes peered through the bottle's glass neck. A pale green color greeted her, sloshing about in the small vial. With a grin, she corked it shut and carefully dropped it in her pouch. Just as she came closer to the door to take her leave, she realized something. She had no idea where K'Vash was.

Her whiskers twitched. She found herself standing at the doorway looking like a fool with her confused face. She shook her head and exited the alchemy store, giving Arcadia a farewell wave before walking out of sight.

The streets of Whiterun were as busy as ever. Children chased each other through every small space available, half the town walked about in the market square, and as always the preacher near the Gildergreen continued to shout words of Talos from the top of his lungs.

The familiar scents of the city wafted through M'Avela's nostrils as she walked along the street. The roasted smell coming from the meat stand made her mouth water and her stomach growl. She had forgotten to eat breakfast.

_M'Avela will help K'Vash first. She will eat later when all is well._

M'Avela ascended to stairs to the Wind district, where Jorrvaskr stood. If K'Vash would be anywhere, it would be there. A pillar a smoke emanated from behind Jorrvaskr as she approached. No doubt the companions were having their meal of the day. M'Avela's hand reached out tentatively and grasped the iron handle, pulling it towards her.

She poked her head inside and scanned the interior. It didn't take long before she spotted K'Vash. He was sitting in the center of the room in front of the humongous hearth. His head was resting on the table, no doubt from whatever training he's had to endure.

She took careful steps, as if any one of the companions would break her from the slightest mistake. She had no reason to be fearful, but previous experiences had conditioned her to be wary of brutes like the ones that seemed to populate Jorrvaskr.

K'Vash's ears perked when he heard the soft footsteps. A smile grew on his face as he turned to see her.

"Good morning, M'Avela. I trust you've handled yourself well?" he asked. M'Avela nodded and took a place next to him.

"Yes, M'Avela has kept herself busy in the meantime. In fact, she has spent the last few days making something for you." She said with obvious pride. K'Vash replied to her statement with a curious look. Taking her cue, M'Avela reached into her pouch and produced the vial in her hands. She held it up for K'Vash to see.

"What is it?" he asked, taking the bottle gently in his hands as if it were a priceless artifact.

"M'Avela worked hard to produce an elixir that should help restore your memory. But…it is all theoretical. She hopes that she has succeeded, however." She said, admittedly unsure of her own product. K'Vash pinched the bottle's neck and shook it gently. He gave her a casual shrug before popping the cork and downing the potion in one gulp.

The taste was bitter and lingered in the back of his throat. K'Vash smacked his lips and set the bottle down. His stomach seemed to roll inside him and twist into a knot before is died away. "I don't feel much different."

M'Avela's entire body deflated. She held such high hopes that she had gotten it correctly. "M'Avela is deeply sorry. She was sure the refined formula would work."

K'Vash held up his hand and shook his head, a sympathetic look drawn on his face. "It's the thought that counts, correct? I appreciate your efforts and I'm glad that you've spent all this time trying to help poor old me. You have my thanks."

M'Avela blushed and nodded. "M'Avela is glad to have helped you. Or tried to."

K'Vash patted her on the shoulder, ready to offer another thanks before his eye caught Vilkas coming through the door. A silent sigh passed through his lips once Vilkas spotted him. "I wish I could stay, but I'm needed elsewhere."

M'Avela was about to ask him what was wrong before her eyes fell on Vilkas. She gulped quietly and nodded. After taking the bottle and putting it back in her pouch, she gave him a farewell nod before taking her leave.

Vilkas watched the young Khajiit walk by him before turning his attention to K'Vash who certainly looked less than thrilled to see him.

"You ready to keep going?" Vilkas said firmly, as if he needed no real answer. K'Vash pushed away from his chair when he realized that he didn't. K'Vash followed Vilkas outside of Jorrvaskr, steeling himself for what was to come.

…

In the days that followed, an arduous routine chiseled itself into K'Vash's mind. The sun would rise by the time Vilkas had led him into the woods to chop down more trees. K'Vash's assumption turned out to be fact. Every day Vilkas handed him a noticeably duller axe. Every day stretched on longer than the last. Every day K'Vash would come back knee deep in exhaustion. His arms would feel like gelatin by the end and beginning of every day. There were a few times where M'Avela would come back and offer an altered potion from before, constantly hoping it would succeed. Like the first time, they never did much other than leave an interesting taste in his mouth. Vilkas seemed devoid of any concern for his well-being when he was cutting down trees. In many ways in reminded K'Vash of his time with Aela. Both of them seemed to have a habit of leaving K'Vash to fend for himself.

He didn't mind so much. The pain that shot up and down his arms was only a precursor to greatness. Or at least he hoped. It would be a cruel twist of fate if all he received in return was a pat on the back and a boot out the door for failing to meet some unknown requirement.

Aside from his constant training, K'Vash began to hear giddy talk of a festival soon to be taking place in Whiterun. The exact nature of the festival was a mystery, but from the adamant conversations it sounded like an important event.

K'Vash was pulled away from his thoughts when he heard the unmistakable sound of wood splintering. K'Vash didn't even bother holding on to the axe as he dropped it and rolled out of the tumbling tree's path. The cat rolled to his feet and faced Vilkas, obviously fed up with the amount of strain he had put on himself.

Vilkas was sitting in his usual spot with a half-eaten sweet roll in his hand.

"There, that's the sixth tree you had me chop down. At this point, I'd be better off using my claws." K'Vash muttered. Vilkas raised an amused eyebrow and finished the rest of his dessert.

"Eh, well the old man said to keep it up as long as I wanted to you. I suppose you've done more than your fair share. Don't think it gets any easier though. You still have a long way to go." Vilkas relented. K'Vash gave him a grateful nod before starting his trek back to Whiterun, running out of breath by the time he reached the town's gates.

If this was considered easy amongst the Companions, he dreaded whatever was about to come next.


	5. Chapter 5

_Hey, K'Vash is back and his legend is extended by another chapter. So, I hope you enjoy this chapter and don't kill me if you find a problem with it._

_ROAD HOUSE!_

* * *

K'Vash woke from his sleep with a more relaxed feeling than he'd felt in the last week. Now that Vilkas' training was truly over, it was time for Farkas' and if Vilkas was the brains, he hated to see what the brawn would have him do.

He sat up and began flexing his muscles. In the days that followed the chopping he had grown twice his size. He wasn't to say as big as any of the companions but he was at least half the size of Farkas for sure. K'Vash was beginning to wonder if M'Avela's potions had this effect on him.

After getting up, K'Vash began the tedious task of donning his armor. He placed the last of it on and realized he didn't fit in at all with the Companions. In style anyway, he made a mental note that he was to pick up some steel armor rather than continue sporting the imperial uniform that had lost its luster and sheen from when he got it back in Helgen.

He got up and walked out to the dining hall like he had every morning to await M'Avela. K'Vash entered the room and saw two recruits like him duking it out with everyone watching. He merely resigned himself to go and stand with them but saw food as a more incising choice.

Sitting down at the table, the weary Khajiit took an apple from the bowl. Its ripe skin looked sweet and juicy and made a delicious crunch as he bit into it. K'Vash sat back and closed his eyes, just enjoying the simple things. He had food, a friend, and a lead. Nothing ever looked bleak to him but he did have his doubts a while back.

K'Vash finished the apple in a matter of minutes and opened his eyes. Like before a gold sheen had fallen over his vision and he saw a Kahjiit child run past him. K'Vash looked at everyone else but they didn't seem to notice the child and the child ran with such agility and control that he didn't touch or bump into anyone.

K'Vash observed the child and got up to follow him. He knew the child from somewhere but could not for the life of him remember where. The child ran outside and K'Vash followed him.

K'Vash opened the door and stepped into Whiterun but what he saw wasn't Whiterun. The trees had shot up and joined with the buildings and rope bridges connected them. K'Vash looked around for the child and caught him on a higher branch, climbing the tree with the utmost skill.

Following the Kahjiit child was another child, a wood elf by the look of him, and they were playing a game. K'Vash followed the children around the tree until the Kahjiit leapt from the tree to one across from it. K'Vash walked to the edge of the rope ladder and looked down. He saw the trees were very tall and… moving.

K'Vash stepped away from the edge and turned to find the rope ladder so he could follow the child. K'Vash came to a rope ladder and began to run across it to get to the next tree, keeping his eye on the child the entire time. K'Vash saw the child run behind a tree and lost sight of him.

K'Vash cursed and turned to look where he was going and smashed into M'Avela. The surprise and instinct made K'Vash close his eyes as he fell on top of her. He felt them land and then roll over one another down a flight of stairs before hitting solid ground.

His eyes shot open and took in the world around him. He noticed that they had landed in Whiterun's market and M'Avela was on top of him. K'Vash carefully rolled her off him and sat up. A few people were staring at him but nothing he needed to worry about.

K'Vash then looked over at M'Avela, she was passed out and unconscious. K'Vash shook his head trying to clear it of whatever had taken him over and stood up, then, carefully picked up M'Avela. He figured he had better get her somewhere same so she doesn't get attacked or kicked out of the city.

K'Vash walked over to the Inn and stepped inside, carefully avoiding hitting M'Avela's head in anything. He looked around and saw many people sitting around having a drink. Few took a glance at him but none paid him too much attention.

K'Vash hadn't the slightest idea where M'Avela's room was so he stepped over to the bar maid and asked her, "Where is this maiden's room?"

The bar made looked at M'Avela and then to K'Vash, "What on earth happened to her? She just stepped out not five minutes ago."

K'Vash wetted his tongue and then spoke, "There was an accident on the stairs."

The bar maid raised an eyebrow to him and then pointed over near the back of the inn, "Her rooms right over yonder but don't be in there too long. Last man that tried to rape a woman in my inn got it cut off."

K'Vash stifled a laugh and a horrid shudder and then walked her over to the room. K'Vash stepped inside and set M'Avela on the bed so she would be okay. K'Vash then turned to leave and then stopped. Something inside him told him to check the room. It was like a second nature to him telling him that there was stuff of value or to learn from in the room.

K'Vash felt himself crouch down, so to not make any noise and then he began. K'Vash stepped over to the dresser first and looked around. K'Vash saw dyes lying around it and piles of cloth near its correlating dye. K'Vash wondered what the cloths were and picked on up.

The blood rushed to his cheeks and he immediately sat the cloth back down. He didn't need to know that M'Avela was dying her underwear in her room. Then again, it brought an interesting question to mind. Why was she doing this?

K'Vash couldn't remember much but it was a gut feeling that none of the women he knew did that. Maybe she had met someone in the town that had caught her eye. He felt a tiny ball of jealousy envelope his chest but decided to drop it and moved to the dresser. K'Vash went to open it but something inside him feared what he might find.

K'Vash's curiosity got the better of him and he opened the dresser and looked in it. M'Avela had bought some nice dresses for herself. Other than that, K'Vash saw nothing that interested him. Although, it did back the thought of her meeting someone.

K'Vash then moved to her nightstand and saw only one thing on it. A scrap of paper that was folded, K'Vash took it up and smiled. M'Avela had found someone. K'Vash opened up the paper and to his surprise; it wasn't a love note but a poster.

The poster had big bold letters across the top that said FESTIVAL OF THE DOVAKIN. Farther down it talked about dancing, entertainment and something about the Dragonborn summon. K'Vash had a feeling that M'Avela was looking forward to it.

K'Vash looked at the date and saw it was later in the day. K'Vash grabbed a quill off M'Avela's desk and wrote her a simple message and signed it. He had to pay her back and he figured a night at the festival would be a good way to repay it.

Silently, as if second nature, K'Vash left the note open on her desk and then left the inn still getting looks from the bar maid. K'Vash figured he better head to Jorrvaskr and find Farkas to get his final training started or finished with.

K'Vash stepped out of the inn and saw that Farkas was right in the middle of the market looking for something. He quickly stepped through the crowd and to Farkas, "Greetings Farkas, what is the training today?"

Farkas heard him and looked up and thought for a moment, "Uuuhhh, Shield-brother, I thought the festival was tonight?"

K'Vash nodded his head, "It is."

Farkas looked at K'Vash for a second and then shrugged, "Okay, well, I thought I'd give you a few more days to get ready but if you insist. Meet me at the tower on top of the Western Watch tower at midnight tonight."

K'Vash was stunned at how he jumped to conclusions and figure the best course of action was to just roll with it, "Alright, now, this festival…what exactly is the purpose?"

Farkas shrugged, "It's a festival that is in celebration of the Dragonborn. It's just one of those things that we Nords celebrate. After all, we could really use his help right now."

K'Vash raised an eyebrow, "Why is that?"

Something caught Farkas' eye and he looked at it then back to K'Vash, "Uh, ask Kodlak. I have something that needs taking care of."

Farkas pushed past K'Vash and took off in the direction of the forges by the entrance to Whiterun. K'Vash didn't pay much mind to it and decided to follow Farkas' advice and talk to Kodlak.

M'Avela sat up with a splitting headache. She couldn't remember what happened but she knew it hurt, bad. She began to try and recall what happened but all that came to mind was K'Vash. She was going to ask him something but what?

M'Avela sat up from her bed and took a look around her room. It was dark and no candles were lit. That could only mean that she didn't bring herself to her own room. M'Avela got up and walked over to her desk and picked up a candle. A tiny ember shot out from the tip of her finger and lit the stick of wax.

Once it was lit, M'Avela saw that her poster was on the desk, spread out and something was written in the corner. M'Avela snatched up the poster and read the note. It was scribbled in a very loose and drawn out font.

Want to go?-K'Vash

M'Avela sat down and read the note, it perplexed her. Did K'Vash want to go as friends, to get to know her? Or just asking if she wanted to? M'Avela thought about what the note could mean and turned around to look at her room. She saw her dresser was slightly cracked open but thought nothing of it. Then, her eyes moved to the top of it.

M'Avela looked back at the note and then to the top of the dresser. There was no way K'Vash could have come into her room and not have seen the dyes and her… undergarments. M'Avela got up immediately and put the dyes in her pouch and then shoved the underwear into her bottom dresser.

M'Avela blushed and couldn't believe she left them just sitting out. She it had been a month and a half and she still wasn't used to living around people. She had been on the run for five years at least. Yet, the threat of her past seemed like it would still be right behind her.

M'Avela shrugged off the feeling and opened up her top dresser drawer. She had managed to make money selling potions and bought several nice outfits for herself. M'Avela picked out a blue dress figuring that it would be the least flashy and had just a gentle touch style to it.

She exchanged her regular cloths which had dirt on them for the blue dress. From there she decided that foot raps would work the best. M'Avela wanted to make sure she looked presentable so she closed her eyes and focused.

M'Avela gave herself a once over and decided she liked how she looked and opened her eyes. She only needed to grab only one more thing. She stepped over to her bed and pulled her fire staff out from under it and placed it in her pouch. After that, M'Avela smoothed her hair down and stepped out of her room.

M'Avela was immediately stunned at the lack of people in the bar, the only person in was a lone Kahjiit at the bar. M'Avela immediately identified the Khajiit as none other than K'Vash and walked over to him. He was sitting down and staring off into space.

M'Avela smiled and thought of a mischievous trick to pull on K'Vash. M'Avela tapped K'Vash on the shoulder opposite of her and when he looked she reached around and snatched up his drink. K'Vash turned back around and then spoke.

"That drink is for you. I didn't know what kind you liked so I picked Honey Brew mead."

M'Avela looked down at her drink and then back at K'Vash, "M'Avela is thankful."

M'Avela began drinking it and K'Vash turned around to look at her. M'Avela got a good look at K'Vash now that he was directly facing her. He cleaned up well to go out. He had cut his hair from it being past shoulder length to being at the base of his neck. His regular imperial armor was switched out for an ensemble of fine red clothes and boots.

M'Avela set her drink down and then sat next to K'Vash, "M'Avela has noticed that you clean up nice."

K'Vash gave a nod in thanks, "Yes well, the companions are all supposed to attend the festival and look proper doing it or at least that's what Kodlak told me."

M'Avela took another sip from her drink and then asked, "Has the festival already started?"

K'Vash nodded and then pointed out the door, "You missed the yak races and the sword fights are happening right now. I figure if we get out there right away, then we can catch the end of the sword fights and I can jump into archery."

M'Avela picked up and finished the rest of her pint and then grabbed K'Vash's hand, "Then what are we waiting for?"

K'Vash got a smirk, "Can't wait to see me shoot?"

M'Avela smiled back, "No, I can't wait to see you dance."

K'Vash showed a look of alarm on his face but quickly recuperated. He got up and walked to the door with M'Avela. Both of them exited the bar and saw a crowd of people standing around two companions. Both Farkas and Vilkas were having at it and neither showed signs of letting up. M'Avela looked from them to the food stands which had brought out their best stuff including sweet rolls, apple pie and, M'Avela's favorite, Argonian Blood wine.

M'Avela was staring so intensely at the wine that K'Vash saw it and tapped her on the shoulder, "See something you like?"

M'Avela felt herself blush and then look away, "Uh, where do you want to start?"

K'Vash pointed over at the food stalls, "Well, you haven't eaten all day so I think the food stalls are the best place to start."

M'Avela breathed a sigh of relief as her and K'Vash walked over to the food stalls. M'Avela got over and she waited by the well as K'Vash went to the stalls. M'Avela found it strange at the amount of money K'Vash had in his pouch. It seemed he had a lot more than forty-five septims. Then, M'Avela immediately turned her attention to the food as K'Vash balanced a plate with sweet rolls on each arm and held the cups in his hands.

M'Avela quickly stepped over to him and took one of the sweet rolls and drinks up from his left arm so he could hold his food in his right. K'Vash devoured his food and watched the fight go on. M'Avela just enjoyed eating the sweet roll and then took a drink of what K'Vash got.

M'Avela immediately felt a warm feeling from the Argonian Blood wine. M'Avela didn't know how he knew but he picked her favorite from the plethora of wine that sat on the venders table. M'Avela made sure to keep a proper appearance while eating even though she was so hungry that she could have scarfed it down like a wolf to venison.

M'Avela just continued to enjoy the food when she heard the crowd begin to roar. Even K'Vash was cheering louder and M'Avela had to smile at his enthusiasm. She brought her sweet roll up for another bite and was immediately pushed to the side and her drink spilled, her sweet roll flew into the dirt and she stumbled and landed face first on the ground.

M'Avela quickly rolled over and clenched her teeth, ready to pounce on who pushed her but she stopped. Where she was standing was Farkas' two handed sword. M'Avela felt a sudden shock of fear and horror as she looked at how close she was to death. Then, a hand fell on her shoulder.

M'Avela looked over and saw K'Vash was kneeling next to her, "Are you alright?"

M'Avela looked down at her dress which was dirty now, "I guess…"

K'Vash noticed how she looked down at her dress and stood up, "Wait here."

M'Avela opened her mouth to tell him not to go but K'Vash was already gone. M'Avela sighed and began to get up and dust herself off. M'Avela almost wanted to cry, she had just bought the dress and hadn't even worn it for a few minutes and already it was ruined. M'Avela got up and, walking as fast as she could, headed back into the inn so she could change.

M'Avela rushed to her room and started tearing her dress off in anger. She managed to get it all off when there was a knock at her door. M'Avela walked up and answered it without opening the door.

"Hello?"

"You took off so fast, you didn't even wait to get my present", K'Vash said from the other side.

M'Avela opened up her drawer and pulled out a brown dress. It was her least favorite dress and the only one she didn't want to wear but it also was her only clean dress. M'Avela began to put it on when the her door opened.

"K'Vash!"

K'Vash entered with his eyes closed and sealed tight, "Look, I know you would refuse to let me in but I have this for you."

M'Avela looked in anger at what K'Vash was holding. He had a green, refined tunic and a pair of knee high refined boots. M'Avela walked over to them and looked at the clothes. She took them from K'Vash and opened them up to give them a look. M'Avela immediately beamed with pleasure.

The clothes were the perfect color, the boots would fit her just right and they both would look great together. M'Avela felt so good she squealed and gave K'Vash a hug. She was just so happy to have such nice clothes.

There was a silence for a moment and K'Vash wasn't hugging her, "What's wrong?"

"Well, you aren't wearing anything yet", K'Vash said in a slightly embossed tone and eyes seal shut.


End file.
